A Day in Diagon Alley
by Fictionjunnkie
Summary: Teddy Lupin is worried about going to Hogwarts in a month. Will the kids like him, or will they think he's a loser? Prehaps talking to Neville Longbottom will help... Looking at the parallels between Neville and Teddy. First Fic, Please read


It was a peaceful setting, Harry sitting by the fire. It was August 15th, and it was Teddy Lupin's first school shopping trip, which Harry had volunteered to take him on. He was just waiting for Teddy and his Grandmother to Floo themselves to his house.

Suddenly the flames turned bright green, and spinning and tumbling out of the hearth came a spluttering 11-year-old boy. Behind him popped the head of Andromeda Tonks. She burst into a coughing fit as the soot cleared.

"Thank you- _cough_- Harry-_cough_- _cough_- for taking Teddy-_cough_. This horrible-_cough_- bout of-" but at that moment she was cut off by her own raspy, hoarse coughs. Harry rushed to get her a glass of water, then tipped it into her mouth. After downing the cup in a few gulps, she cleared her throat. "Sorry, I was saying, 'Thanks for taking Teddy to get his school things, I have yet to overcome this stupid cold!"

"Why don't you just take the Pepper-potion?"

"I have! It's not working, and if it doesn't work in the next two days I'm going to Mungo's! Well, have fun!" She said, disappearing from the fire. Teddy stood beside the couch, looking at the floor, his hair (for once) a normal color, a mousy brown, which his mother had worn when depressed. Harry knew this couldn't be a good sign.

"What's wrong Teddy?" he asked.

"It's nothing…" came the mumbled reply.

"Come on, I know, at least, when your hair isn't an abnormal color, something's wrong."

"It's stupid." He looked up, his eyes betraying his anxiousness.

"I won't laugh, I promise." Harry answered.

"Well, I'm nervous about going to Hogwarts. All the people there will laugh at me!" He said, looking ashamed. This quickly switched to annoyance when Harry began to laugh. "What?! You said you wouldn't laugh!"

Harry shut up then, and squatted down to be on at the short boy's eye level. "Teddy, I was only laughing because that's exactly how I felt, when I went to Hogwarts for the first time. If you weren't scared, I wouldn't think you were my godson. All the first years are scared. There's no reason to be ashamed! And why would they make fun of you?"

"Because I like plants. Victoire thought it was funny!"

"But now she's your best friend! You should be proud of your Herbology talents!" Harry said, but that didn't seem to convince Teddy. "Here, once we get your books and wand, I'm sure you'll feel different. Ready to go?" From a small nod from the young boy, he grabbed Teddy's hand and they both apparated into Diagon Alley.

The bustling witches and wizards moved around them as they gazed down the street. "First," Harry said "we have to get you a wand." He pointed to a small shop, with golden letters that Teddy just made out to say _**Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.**_on nearly-opaque window. The inside of the shop was dusty and very dark. Tall shelves stood behind a counter, at which no one was sitting. A voice from the corner made them both jump.

"Hello, Harry Potter, holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, if I recall?"

"Yes sir, I'm here to get a wand for my godson, Teddy." A balding, old man with large eyes stepped out of the shadows.

"Ahh, the most thrilling moment in a young wizard's life. Which is your wand hand?" Teddy looked at Harry, who told Ollivander "His right."

"Ok, well, hold it out, dear boy." Teddy held out his right arm, and Ollivander pulled out a tape measure, then turned and disappeared behind the shelves. The tape measure moved by itself, measuring every imaginable distance on Teddy's body, elbow to hand, heel to shoulder, the circumference of his head, height, thickness of wrist and ankle, length of nose, and on and on, while boxes were shifting as Ollivander searched for a possible wand. Finally, he reappeared, holding several dusty boxes. "Well," he said "let us see, hmm, let's try this one, unicorn hair, beech, 12 inches." He took the box from the pile on the counter, took out the wand, and handed it to Teddy. Again Teddy looked back at Harry, unsure of what to do, but before Harry could reply, the wand was whisked out of Teddy's hand, and another one replaced it.

"Eleven inches, phoenix feather and elm." Teddy sort of waved this one, and a stack of boxes beside the counter fell over. "Nope, not that one either." It went on like this for quite a while, either the wand was whisked away before Teddy could even get a good grip on it, or something was knocked over, one of which was an entire shelve. This was a mixed blessing however, as one of the wands tumbled out of its box and rolled to a stop at Teddy's feet. Mr. Ollivander's eyes grew large (larger than they were before), as Teddy hesitantly picked it up and waved it.

Bright orange fireworks came out of the end and exploded in the rafters, drowning out Harry and Mr. Ollivanders' cries of delight. Mr. Ollivander said "That is the most enthusiastic response I have ever seen with a wand in many years! Two Unicorn hairs and cherry, eleven and three-quarter inches!" he said as he wrapped the box and Harry paid for it. He was still smiling as he led them out and bid them farewell.

"Now Teddy, you can't tell me that wasn't exciting!" Though his question went unanswered, one glance at Teddy's black hair told him right away that this was going to be a problem. His downcast face didn't mean anything good either. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by someone calling his name. He looked ahead and Neville Longbottom waved to him from the door way of Flourish and Blotts.

"Hi Harry, Teddy!"

"Hi Neville! How are you?"

"Better than good. Luna got her book published! That's why we're here, she has a book signing today. What about you?"

"I was here with Teddy, to get his school supplies."

"Oh, speaking of Hogwarts, guess what?"

"What?"

"I got the job!" He was beaming brightly, looking very proud.

"That's great Neville! So are you looking forward to it?"

"Yes, I still can't believe that I got it."

"Neville, don't be stupid, you're the best person in England suited for the job." Harry reassured him. "Hey," he said struck by sudden brilliance "will you tell Teddy all about Hogwarts? I need to go talk to Luna for a moment." He said the next sentence under his breath, even though Teddy was several feet away, observing a peculiar bush outside of the shop. "He really does enjoy Herbology."

Neville nodded to him and made his way to the boy crouching over the bush.

"That's a Splitting bush." he said, making Teddy jump.

"It's the German breed." Teddy replied without thinking. He looked around his shoulder and saw a man he had been introduced to at Harry's last birthday party. What was his name?…

"Who are you?" he decided to ask, if bluntly. The man chuckled.

"I'm Neville Longbottom."

"Hello Mr. Longbottom, I'm Teddy Lupin, I do believe we met at Harry's birthday party." Teddy replied jokingly, feigning stiff adult politeness. As Neville began laughing, he couldn't help joining in.

"Please, call me Neville. But Professor Longbottom in class."

"In class? Are you a teacher?"

"Yes, though this will be my first year. I teach Herbology."

"Really? I love Herbology! I've identified all the species of plants in my grandma's garden already!"

"That's good. You'll be a very good student in my class."

"If I don't fail miserably first." Teddy said under his breath.

"What do you mean?" Neville replied, hearing this soft comment.

Teddy debated in his head whether he should tell this only just introduced man. _But he will probably end up being my favorite teacher. And he's Harry's friend, why not? _"Well first, I'm afraid people will ask why I was raised by my grandmother."

"Teddy, I knew your father, and your mum. They were great people, and you don't have to tell anyone why if you don't want to, but they would want you to be proud of them." Teddy was startled; he didn't expect Neville to know that his parents died, much less know them personally.

"You don't understand." Teddy mumbled.

"Actually, I do. I lived with my grandmother to, and my friends didn't even know why until I was 15." Teddy was again amazed.

"Well, ok, but at least your best friend wasn't a girl, _and _a year younger than you."

Neville smiled at this. "Actually, she was. And now we're engaged."

"EWWW!!!" Teddy exclaimed.

Neville pretended to look offended. "Well it's true! And I bet you 15 galleons the same will happen to you."

Teddy looked at him, calculating how much he might lose. "Your on!" They both shook hands, and talked about other random things. Neville even got permission from Harry to get Teddy a pet.

"Well, your allowed to have a cat, an owl, a rat, or a toad. I had a toad, but I wouldn't suggest having one. How about an owl?"

"No!" Teddy yelled. "Sorry, I've had a bad experience with my grandma's owl. I'm deathly scared of them."

'That won't help if you have to send a letter, but ok, what about a cat?" Teddy agreed and they went to Magical Menagerie. The young witch at the desk looked up as the door opened.

"Hello, welcome to Magical Menagerie." she said in a bored voice. "My name is Romilda Vane, can I help you?" The name stirred Neville's memory, and he recognized it.

"I know you! You were that crazy fourth year that was in love with Harry!" He said without thinking. Romilda straightened up at once.

"What's it to you?" She snapped.

"Oh nothing, except that you implied that me and Luna were unworthy to sit with Harry."

"Oh I remember you. You were one of the losers forcing Harry to sit with you!"

"We didn't make him sit with us, as you know. Anyways, we're here to get a cat for Teddy." He looked around and was alerted by severe sneezing in a corner.

Teddy, who had wandered off during the conversation, had come to a cage containing a large and fluffy white Persian cat. His eyes immediately began watering and he started sneezing violently, and he did not notice the purple spots beginning to cover his face and hands.

Romilda followed Neville to go to Teddy, and recognized the symptoms of an allergic reaction. She quickly cast an anti- allergy spell. "Sorry _Mr. _Longbottom, but your son is allergic to cats. Come again when you find something that won't make him break out in spots." she sneered.

"He's not my son, _Ms. _Vane, but is the godson of the certain _friend_ we were discussing. Come on Teddy, let's go." But Teddy did not come. He was looking wide-eyed at a small toad in a cage.

"That looks so cool!" He said, pointing. "Can I have it?" he asked.

"Well, are you sure? They aren't the most popular-" but Neville was cut off by Teddy's pleas. "Ok, if your sure." Neville glanced at Romilda and saw a sneer worthy of Malfoy.

However, he paid for the toad and went back to Flourish and Blotts, and met Harry there, now helping Luna sign books.

"Harry! Harry, look what Neville got me!" Teddy cried, proudly displaying the cage.

Harry looked Neville questionably, which was answered by "I tried to persuade him not to."

"Well Teddy, I've gotten all over your school books already, we should go get the rest of your supplies.

"Ok, good-bye Neville! See you at Hogwarts!" Teddy said then bounded out the door.

"What did you say to him?" Harry asked looking astounded.

"I'm not really sure, well see you Harry."

"Yes, see you soon." Luna and Neville watched him walk out.

"It was nice to see them again. A lot more people came to get a book signed once he came." Luna said. Neville smiled at her and put his arm around her, as they watched

Teddy's shock of electric blue hair.

**20 years later, at Teddy and Victore's Wedding**

Neville, who was dancing (clumsily) with Luna, suddenly remembered something. He spoke a few words to Luna, who responded "I'll go speak to the gnomes for a bit.", before tripping off to the garden. Neville walked towards Teddy, who was still waltzing with Victoire. He tapped him on the shoulder, and said "I have a business deal to discuss with you."

Teddy was confused, but followed Neville off the dance floor. "What?" Teddy asked.

"You owe me 15 galleons."


End file.
